Two-time Oscar nomineeNaomi Wattsis set to star in Amazon’s remake ofSeverin FialaandVeronika Franz’s psychological thrillerGoodnight Mommy.
The film is a co-production between Amazon, Animal Kingdom and Playtime, andMatt Sobel(Take Me to the River) is directing from a script byKyle Warren. The remake will be produced byDavid Kaplan,Joshua Astrachan,Valery GuibalandNicolas Brigaud-Robert, while Watts will serve as an executive producer alongside Fiala and Franz.
Goodnight Mommyfollows twin brothers who are sent to stay with their mother, only to find her face covered in bandages. Eventually, they come to believe that the woman is not their mother and do everything they can to extract the truth from her.
“My favorite films are those that invite the audience to step inside their protagonist’s journey. In our re-imagining ofGoodnight Mommy, fear of abandonment – and the dreadful realization that those close to us may not be who they seem – create an immersive nightmare, with visceral sensations front and center. I can’t wait to create this heart-stopping story with Amazon and the peerless Naomi Watts,” Sobel toldVariety, which broke the news.
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Now, here’s the thing about thisGoodnight Mommyremake. I didn’t think the original movie was all that good, as it hinged on a big twist of which I wasn’t a fan. However, because of that semi-hot take, I do believe that this is a remake worth doing, as there’s plenty of room for improvement in my book. His attachment isn’t the news here, but Sobel is an interesting choice to direct this movie. His debut feature was a little slow but it indicated that he had some chops as a filmmaker, and I just hope he’s willing – and allowed – to take some chances with this material, which shouldn’t be considered sacred.
Thereisan interesting idea at the center of this story, but if Amazon just wants to play the same notes all over again, I won’t really see the point. Some could say the same of the streamer’sSuspiriaremake as well. So long as the company leavesRawandRevengealone, we’re good. But for the record, those are the two recent international genre films – and female filmmakers – that I’ll go to bat for any day of the week.
Watts earned a pair of Oscar nominations for her devastating performances in21 GramsandThe Impossible, and she’s a good choice for this remake, which will likely arrive 15 years after the remake ofFunny Gamesthat she starred in oppositeTim Roth. She’s a great actress who starred in two of the most underrated movies of the past six years in my humble opinion –DemolitionandLuce– and also led what many (definitely not me!) believe is the greatest film of the century inMulholland Drive. That said, she has been stuck in some rough films of late, such asThe Book of Henry,Shut InandThe Wolf Hour. You could even addBoss Levelto that list as well, depending on your taste. I guess what I’m saying is, she deserves better roles, dammit! Get on it, Hollywood!
The British actress currently stars in Netflix’s family dramaPenguin Bloom, and her upcoming projects include Bleecker Street’s thrillerInfinite Storm,Phillip Noyce’sLakewood, andJames DeMonaco’s off-brand Blumhouse movieThis Is the Night, which pairs Watts withFrank GrilloandBobby Cannavale. That’s the one I’m looking forward to, if only because I like whenJason Blumdeviates from his tried-and-true horror formula, aka horrormula.
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